A while ago on tumblr there was a post going around that was along the lines of "Sharing a book with someone is one of the most personal things you can do, it's like say 'here is a little piece of my soul that I think you'd enjoy' " aside from the obvious Tom Riddle's Diary joke to be made of this, I think about it all the time.
We are made up of everything we read, see and do. When reading, whether I liked, loved or loathed a book I think it has become a part of me. I find that there are a multitude of reasons I could like a book: being sucked into the story so I can't bear not knowing what happens next, falling in love with characters so that I don't care what I'm reading about I just want to know everything they do and think, finding sentences scattered through a book which are perfectly phrased and play around my head for days, Or sometimes just that a book is written so beautifully I want to cry at the way language can be expressed. Whatever the reason for a book resonating with me I feel it is both a reflection of the person I am, and a development in the person I become.
Reccomending people books is one of my greatest pleasures. I love thinking about the worlds I have experienced and how they could also effect the people I know. Often as I read I can see my friends in characters, I can imagine how they too will adore an authors turn of phrase. I absolutely love when talking to a friend after reading the same book we realise we'd picked out the exact same sentences as our favourites. I love when I happen across a book which relates perfectly to the current situation. I just finished reading the latest Bridget Jones and ever since I've been urging all my girlfriends to read it because despite a 30 year age gap I know they'll all see parts of themselves in her.
I'm lucky to have like-minded friends on this. One of my favourite memories is in year 9 we were supposed to be watching the movie of Animal Farm, but instead Sunny, Heddy, Greta and I were hiding at the back of the classroom reading. I had just discovered The Mortal Instruments Series, and quickly spread it. We were sitting in a line- Greta and I both reading the third book, Sunny reading the second and Hedwig reading the first. Last Christmas both Sunny and Greta indiviudally came up with the idea of buying a book for each person in our group. When going on a two week trip to Singapore with Greta we carefully coordinated to have nine different books between us. Most importantly sharing books lead me to one of my best friends. If it hadn't been for me casually offering to lend Missy the first Princess Diaries book who knows if we'd ever have become friends like we did.
Books are some of the greatest things in this world and I'm so happy to have people to share them with.
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